Pakistan offspinner Bilal Asif reported for suspect bowling action
October 06, 2015
During the third ODI between the two countries , umpires Jeremiah Matibiri of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka's Ruchira Palliyaguruge reported Asif's action to match referee David Jukes of England.
"The match officials have reported a few of Asif's deliveries as suspect," Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam told news agency AFP by phone from Harare.
"It's disappointing for a new player who has just made his mark at the international level," he said.
Alam said the International Cricket Council (ICC) will now complete its process on Asif, with the player undergoing tests within 14 days to see if officials' suspicions that he is bending his arm past 15 degrees – visible to the naked eye – are correct.
If his action is found illegal he will be suspended and will have to undergo corrective measures before he can play again.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the match officials' report was handed over to the Pakistan team management citing concerns about the legality of the 30-year-old's bowling action.
"Bilal's bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and T20Is," the ICC said in a press statement on its website.
However, cricket's governing body said the newcomer could continue playing international cricket until the results of a bio-mechanic bowling action test.
"He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Bilal is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known," it said.
The news comes as a blow to the Pakistan team after the promising bowler and allrounder became only the fourth spinner to dismiss five or more batsmen in an ODI without any help from other fielders.
Bilal made his debut on October 3 and picked up 5 wickets for 25 runs in only his second match, the third best bowling figures by a Pakistan offspinner in ODIs — only behind Saqlain Mushtaq's 5 for 20 in 2000 and Saeed Ajmal's 5 for 24 in 2013.
Pakistan retained Bilal for the Zimbabwe ODI series to assess his credentials ahead of a Test series with England and to fill the gap left by Mohammad Hafeez, who has been banned for one year for an illegal bowling action.
Asif is the third Pakistani player to face questions of illegal bowling since the ICC launched a crackdown in June last year, with off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez also both reported.
Ajmal was cleared to play again, but Hafeez was reported in July for a second time and is banned from bowling for 12 months.
